15 Responses to “Options over possessions.”

I remember moving back home after college, everything I owned fit into the back of my car. Now I wonder if I need a bigger house. Sometimes I wish we could just take a month off and travel, didnt have things to bog us down…..

I don’t have much, and sometimes I go through phases where I renew my obsession with finally purchasing the EXPEDIT bookshelf from IKEA for my kitchen. I also need a new mattress. But then I think, “If I get those two things, that’s a day trip on a train to somewhere new!” And so I stick with my crap shelf and my crap mattress, and simply don’t see them as much because I’m out traveling somewhere. And that’s OK with me.

Before we left on our 15 month trip, we sold everything we owned that could be replaced. It was very liberating to see the remainder all nicely packed up in a few boxes for storage, knowing each box was full of only important and sentimental things. It definitely gave us a new attitude towards “stuff” when we got back, but it’s not necessarily one of minimalism for it’s own sake. We’ve still managed to re-accumulate “stuff” since being home, but more of it is considered, quality stuff that brings us joy, and less of it is replaceable crap.

Part of me thinks that travel fills the same gap as stuff—that’s why we don’t need it when we travel, and we can’t seem to avoid it when we don’t.

We traveled around the world for 34 months, coming back for a few months each year as required by our medical plan and went to 46 countries. What we did before we left is spent about six months selling a great deal of our stuff $5,000 worth and in used, next to nothing prices that is second-hand reality, we did well. We did keep one bed, one chesterfield, our photos, cooking stuff, etc., but put that in storage for about $250 per month. It was great not to have to worry about anything.

The other issue that most people don’t think of is that it can cost anywhere from $10 to 20k per year, depending on your home just to keep up the taxes, insurance, etc. We spent that on travel. We are |”older boomers” so it is a lot more work to get rid of stuff, but also a lot more worth it.

It’s definitely a wild idea! I started selling everything I owned on Monday and by Wednesday had my possessions completely liquidated to what I have stuffed in my backpack and a small netbook and just left home today for Jamaica! I’m pumped and scared and a bit of everything with this being my first vagabonding experience at the age of 23.

Good for you, and for doing in in your twenties. I did it in my fifties but wanted to do it for thirty years. The difference in two days that you took to the six months that we did is of course a 3,000 sq foot house and a lifetime of stuff. But the principle is the same. It’s actually harder as you get older because the options coming back are greater when you are younger.

I am in the 18 month planning process for my RTW trip. Once I leave, I don’t know when I will come back or exactly where I will be going but part of what has shocked me is how much I like some of my stuff. The general consensus is to get rid of it but I am trying to pare down my stuff so that I can put it in a small storage unit. Stuff isn’t bad. I do like the idea of getting rid of everything that isn’t replaceable.

When we took off to travel, Kyle and I got rid of most things we owned (cars, furniture, clothes, etc). But we did keep the things that we knew we’d pay big $ to replace (pots & pants, etc) & that we knew we had places to store things for free. We lent rugs, board games, books, lamps, etc to friends and stored boxes in my dad’s basement. Granted, we didn’t get all our stuff back from friends (lost a few rugs), but we were gone 4.5 years, and being able to get a chunk of it back and know that friends were able to use it while away was great.

I have moved a lot over the years and everytime I do it I try to get rid of the extra “stuff”. With advent of the digital era its even easier….I’m converting all photos and media to a cloud and dumping the tangible versions and putting it into a cloud based system so in 2013 I can take a year to see the world. Stuff isn’t important to ie but memories are!

I survived Hurricane Andrew, losing every material possession. The only thing I had left were my children and I felt so blessed because people are irreplaceable. As an Army veteran I learned that I can survive on what I can carry, what an awesome lesson!

Wow – very inspirational. Thanks for sharing, everyone! My husband and I are just beginning to pare down our “stuff” with a world adventure in mind. Our goal is to be ready in 12 months. We had a huge garage sale last month that got rid of a whole lot of our “stuff,” but still have a bunch to go. We got married 2 years ago, so it’s been really hard getting rid of some of our new wedding gifts! eek!

Bloggers talking about this:

[…] Options over possessions – We could not bring much for our 4 months in New Zealand. It is liberating to not have to take care of all the crap we accumulate over the years. This has opened up the possibility of what we can do everyday versus staying in our home in the PacNW. […]

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We better understand ourselves and others when we leave home to experience the world firsthand. Independent travel is a departure from routine -- an opportunity to learn, have fun and embrace life in novel environments and cultures.

-Indie travel is about replacing broad expectations with nuanced realities.
-Indie travel is about seeing yourself in the context of a rich and complex world.
-Indie travel is about defining your values, exploring your beliefs, and crafting your own meaning for life.

Indie travelers value...
-Options over possessions
-Dynamic possibilities over static goals
-Discovery over escape
-Interactions over transactions
-Local information over received information
-First-hand experience over expert opinions
-Mental and spiritual growth as much as physical adventure
-Private transformation over social status and bragging rights
-The present moment over dreams of past and future

Indie travelers do...
-Pack light and keep things simple
-Adapt as they go rather than micromanage in advance
-Practice caution, but not paranoia
-Know how to slow down and enjoy an experience
-Seek pleasure in simple moments and details
-Make meaningful connections and informed decisions
-Learn the economic, political and environmental context of their host culture
-Emphasize listening more than talking
-Practice courtesy, patience, humility, and good humor
-Seek to understand -- not judge or romanticize -- other cultures
-Give back to the local economy
-Share what they’ve learned with others